With all the breakthroughs reported today on stem cells and human embryo cloning, it's not hard to guess where the culture wars go from here. Invitro discards will be the microscopic Terri Schiavos of the next wave of "culture of life" insurgency. Just you wait.

The rumblings are already being felt inside the House Republican caucus, where even some pro-life Republicans, like Utah's Orrin Hatch, have warmed to the idea that embryos created for invitro fertilization, but which will not be used (and therefore will be discarded), should be able to be donated by their owners for the use of scientific research. As Diana DeGette, the Colorado Democrat who co-authored a bill to lift George Bush's ban on federal funding for new stem cell lines (imposed in 2001), explained on Franken today (can you tell I listened to Franken today?) the idea is no different from parents of a child killed in a tragic car accident donating his corneas or kidneys for transplantation.

Big question: if the bill passes, will Bush finally whip out his veto pen? For this?